Expanding The Right To Vote: Constitutional Amendments

The right to vote in the United States has been expanded over time through a series of constitutional amendments, federal laws, and Supreme Court cases. The original Constitution, which took effect in 1789, did not specifically protect the right to vote, leaving eligibility requirements to the states. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, was the first to expand voting rights by prohibiting the denial of the vote based on race. However, the Supreme Court interpreted this narrowly, and discriminatory practices prevented many African Americans from voting. The 19th Amendment (1920) prohibited denying the vote based on sex, enfranchising women. The 24th Amendment (1964) prohibited poll taxes, and the 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18. Federal laws like the Civil Rights Acts, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 have also played a significant role in protecting and expanding voting rights.

Explore related products

Equality's Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America

$9.99 $19.99

The People’s Constitution: 200 Years, 27 Amendments, and the Promise of a More Perfect Union

$18.4 $45

The U.S. Constitution for Everyone: Features All 27 Amendments (Perigee Book)

$11 $24

Youth Voting Rights: Civil Rights, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, and the Fight for American Democracy on College Campuses (Democracy in Times of Upheaval, 5)

$29.99

Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America

$3.99 $21

Susan B. Anthony: Champion for Voting Rights! (Show Me History!)

$9.47 $12.99

The 15th Amendment (1870) expanded voting rights to all men, regardless of race

The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified on February 3, 1870, expanded voting rights to all men, regardless of race. This amendment was the last of the Reconstruction Amendments, which were passed in the years following the American Civil War.

Before the Civil War, the most common measurement for voter eligibility was that the prospective voter had to be a white male who owned property of a certain value. However, certain states and cities in the North allowed free African Americans and women to vote. During the Reconstruction Era, Congress debated the rights of millions of black freedmen. After Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868, Republicans proposed a compromise amendment that would ban franchise restrictions based on race, colour, or previous servitude.

The official text of the 15th Amendment is as follows: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, colour, or previous condition of servitude. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

Despite the amendment, many African Americans in the Southern states were still unable to exercise their right to vote due to discriminatory practices and laws such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. The Supreme Court also interpreted the amendment narrowly in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, upholding ostensibly race-neutral limitations on suffrage. It was not until the first half of the 20th century that these discriminatory laws and restrictions on voting rights were slowly eroded by a series of Supreme Court decisions.

The 19th Amendment (1920) prohibited voting discrimination based on sex

The 19th Amendment, certified in 1920, was a significant milestone in the expansion of voting rights in the United States. It prohibited voting discrimination based on sex, effectively granting women the right to vote. This amendment was the culmination of decades of advocacy and activism by women's rights activists, dating back to the abolitionist movement. The official text of the amendment states: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex".

The journey towards achieving this amendment began as early as 1878 when the 19th Amendment was first introduced to Congress. It was not until 42 years later, in 1920, that the amendment was finally certified. During this period, women's suffrage gained momentum, with states like Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho amending their state constitutions to grant women the right to vote. The formation of organisations like the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1890 and the National Women's Party (NWP) in 1916 further propelled the movement.

In the lead-up to the 1920 general election, there was increasing pressure from the public to pass the amendment. President Wilson called a special session of Congress in 1919, and the House of Representatives and the Senate passed the amendment. It then proceeded to the states for ratification, requiring approval from 36 states. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, and with that, the 19th Amendment became a part of the Constitution.

While the 19th Amendment was a significant step forward, it did not immediately ensure voting rights for all women. In practice, it primarily benefited white women, as women of colour continued to face discrimination and voter suppression. Black women, Indigenous women, Asian American women, and women from other racial and ethnic minority groups had to wait until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to have their voting rights fully protected. Additionally, Native Americans, who were not eligible for U.S. citizenship in 1920, did not benefit from the amendment's ratification.

Following the expansion of voting rights for women, activists like Alice Paul shifted their focus to broader protections against sex-based discrimination. This led to the proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment, which was approved by Congress in 1972 but ultimately failed to gain sufficient state support for ratification. Despite these ongoing challenges, the 19th Amendment stands as a testament to the power of advocacy and the enduring quest for equality in the United States.

The 24th Amendment (1964) removed poll taxes as a barrier to voting

The 24th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on January 23, 1964, abolished poll taxes as a barrier to voting in federal elections. The official text of the amendment states:

> The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Poll taxes were a form of voter suppression, particularly targeting African Americans and poor whites in the South. In the aftermath of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era, states across the former Confederacy imposed laws that restricted the civil liberties of newly freed African Americans, including their right to vote. This led to a long struggle for voting rights, with critical milestones such as the 15th Amendment (1870) granting African American men the right to vote, the 19th Amendment (1920) extending the right to women, and the 24th Amendment (1964) eliminating poll taxes.

The push for the abolition of poll taxes gained momentum during the Roosevelt Administration of the 1930s and 1940s, with President Harry S. Truman's Committee on Civil Rights investigating voter restrictions. Despite concerns that Southern states would reject an amendment repealing poll taxes, it was ratified by the required 38 states in 1964. Georgia, notably, voted unanimously in favour, while Mississippi was the only Southern state to directly reject it.

The 24th Amendment was a significant step in the pursuit of civil rights during the turbulent 1960s. It was passed the same year as the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed all forms of discrimination across the nation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 further solidified these gains, prohibiting voter discrimination based on race, colour, or membership in a language minority group. The 24th Amendment, by removing poll taxes as a voting barrier, played a foundational role in advancing voting rights for all Americans.

Explore related products

Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights: From the Vote to the Equal Rights Amendment

$16.52 $17.95

U.S. Reconstruction - 15th Amendment - Voting Rights - Civil War History Classroom Poster

$10.99

Just Freedom: Inside Florida’s Decades-Long Voting Rights Battle

$18.99 $28

Our Amendments - 19th Amendment Women's Suffrage- Voting Rights, Antiqued Parchment Replica Document (11.25" x 14.25"), Ribbon-tied and in hard collectors tube

$12.99

Suffrage Reconstructed: Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in the Civil War Era

$27.02 $50.95

A War of Sections: How Deep South Political Suppression Shaped Voting Rights in America

$25.34 $36.95

The Voting Rights Act (1965) prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of legislation that prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language minority status. This act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965, and it played a crucial role in safeguarding the voting rights of racial minorities, particularly African Americans, who had faced significant obstacles to voting in the South following the Civil War.

Before the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, African Americans in Southern states were subjected to various discriminatory voting practices, including literacy tests, poll taxes, and other bureaucratic restrictions designed to deny them the right to vote. They also faced harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when attempting to register or vote, leading to limited political power for African Americans in the region.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 addressed these issues by explicitly prohibiting voter discrimination on the basis of race, colour, or language minority status. Section 2 of the law provided two key protections: first, it prohibited intentional discrimination based on race or colour in voting, and second, it prohibited election practices that resulted in the denial or abridgment of the right to vote due to race or colour. This section closely followed the language of the Fifteenth Amendment, which granted African American men the right to vote in 1870, but whose protections were often interpreted narrowly by the Supreme Court, allowing discriminatory practices to persist.

Additionally, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 required certain jurisdictions with a history of voter discrimination to obtain preclearance from the federal government before implementing any changes to their voting practices. This provision ensured that new voting laws or procedures did not infringe upon the right to vote based on race, colour, or language minority status. The Act also required certain places to provide election materials in languages other than English, further promoting language accessibility in the voting process.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 remains a significant piece of legislation in the ongoing struggle to protect and expand voting rights for racial minorities in the United States. While it has faced legal challenges and amendments over the years, it stands as a testament to the civil rights movement's efforts to secure equal voting rights for all citizens, regardless of race, colour, or language.

The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18 for all elections

The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years for all elections. The official text of the amendment is: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age." This amendment expanded voting rights to young Americans, guaranteeing their right to participate in the political process.

The push for lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 gained momentum in the 1940s, with early endorsements from prominent figures like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. However, it was in the 1960s and early 1970s that the movement gained widespread support due to increasing public opposition to the Vietnam War. Many young Americans were being drafted to fight in a conflict over which they had no political say, sparking the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote." This sentiment was echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his 1954 State of the Union address, where he urged Congress to propose a constitutional amendment granting 18-year-olds the right to vote.

Protests and lobbying efforts, led by activists from organisations like the National Education Association, the AFL-CIO, and the NAACP, played a significant role in pressuring legislators to act. Regional chapters of the NAACP organised youth conferences and marches in cities across the country, demanding the reduction of the voting age. On March 10, 1971, the Senate unanimously voted in favour of the amendment, followed by an overwhelming majority in the House on March 23.

The 26th Amendment faced legal challenges, with arguments surrounding issues like voter representation for out-of-town college students and the validity of voter identification laws. Despite these challenges, the amendment stood firm, ensuring that young Americans had a voice in shaping the country's future through their right to vote.

Frequently asked questions